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Zohar
The Zohar (also called the Original Zohar to differentiate between the Zohar Emulators), also known as Marienkind, is a mysterious source of power believed to be unrivaled in the Xenosaga universe. Many people, groups and organizations fight to gain control for the Zohar, like Ormus, U-TIC Organization, Immigrant Fleet, Galaxy Federation and Dmitri Yuriev's Salvator Faction. The Original Zohar is called "Marienkind" which means "Child of Mary" in German. According to the Original Design Materials, this name represents Jesus Christ. The U.M.N. database in Episode I gives yet another reference, however, saying that this also refers to a fairytale by the Brothers Grimm about a girl who receives the keys to the 13 doors of heaven from Mary, the mother of Jesus. Appearance The Zohar is perceived in the Real Number Domain of the Lower Domain as a golden monolith. It is visually distinguished by an aquamarine jewel. The Original Zohar is not to be mistaken for Joachim Mizrahi's Zohar Emulators, which are not as powerful. Zohar Emulators have red Hebrew letters instead of a jewel. The Hyams Zohar Emulator appears to have a blue letter. Purpose The Zohar serves as a portal between the Upper Domain of U-DO ("God") and the Lower Domain of the human collective consciousness (Unus Mundus), and could be seen as a "window to contact U-DO/God". The Zohar is described as "a source of infinite energy". It powers Zarathustra, which resets the universe to a blank slate for Eternal Recurrence; therefore, the Zohar is a requirement for Wilhelm to achieve his goal. This legendary artifact is rumored to be capable of eradicating the Gnosis and ushering in an era of universal peace and tranquility. However, the Gnosis themselves seem to be attracted to the Zohar, as they were attracted to the Zohar Emulators on the Woglinde. Anyone who comes into physical contact (direct, or in the beginning of Episode I, through a space suit) with the Zohar or its emulators vanishes from physical space. Unmanned vehicles or Auto-Techs, however, are unaffected. The Episode I guide claims this is due to "the power of one's will." ZoharD1.png|An astronaut reaching for a Zohar Emulator in space. ZoharD2.png|The astronaut touching the Zohar Emulator. ZoharD3.png|The astronaut disappearing. ZoharD4.png|The astronaut gone. History The Official Guide seems to imply that the Zohar existed ever since the big bang, implying that the Zohar is not man-made. Originally, the Zohar was used by ancient people to power the Relics of God. The Zohar has also been an object of worship by humans at various points in time, as well as an object to be research and studied. chaos/Yeshua's Anima power was divided into twelve relics (the Vessels of Anima) by Mary Magdalene on Lost Jerusalem in ancient times to protect the universe from dissipation. This is because the Vessels of Anima are required to activate the Zohar. (In Episode III, Margulis claims the Zohar and the Vessels of Anima were intended to be one whole, but whether or not this is true or a lie is unknown.) The Ormus Society, however, claims that they have been the people bound to the Zohar for eternity. Ormus is not the only known faction after the powers of the Zohar. Yeshua and Mary (or possibly rather their followers) attempted to hide the Zohar from Wilhelm and used an anti-Wilhelm force. The Zohar was later discovered on the floor of Lake Turkana in Kenya in 20XX by T. Masuda and his archaeological crew, funded by Vector Industries. They also found a Zohar control program known as Lemegeton, and the Compass of Order and Chaos. Vector's experiments between the Zohar and Lemegeton, led by Grimoire Verum, directly led to Earth being abandoned and re-named Lost Jerusalem. People of the Zohar Anyone born on planet Abraxas/Michtam are known as the People of the Zohar. According to Pellegri, "The People of Zohar arrived to Abraxas after a long wandering journey. We were the people who protected the Zohar and the relics of God for generations." However, this doesn't necessarily always means that the People of the Zohar get along with each other. People of the Zohar tend to have a compatibility to link with U-DO. Known People of the Zohar and descendants of People of the Zohar: * Sharon Rozas and Joaquin Rozas * Sergius XVII (and all the other popes such as Sergius XIV and Julius XVIII) * Joachim Mizrahi (and Sakura Mizrahi, but not Juli) * Margulis * Pellegri * Kevin's Mother and Kevin Winnicot * Aoi Uzuki (and Shion Uzuki and Jin Uzuki) * Dmitri Yuriev Locations During the series, the Zohar transfers to a variety of different locations. A.D. * The people of ancient Lost Jerusalem are the first to perceive it. * Mary Magdalene's followers hide it under Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. * In 20XX, Vector Industries (Wilhelm) excavates it and transfers it to Toronto, Canada to research. * Vector scientist Grimoire Verum uses it in a link experiment with Nephilim Verum. As a result, a matter shift was generated, and mankind had no choice but to evacuate Earth. The system went out of control during a control experiment, and Nephilim became the first to disappear. The disappearance phenomenon continued to expand, eventually erasing all of Earth from dimensional space. T.C. * After Lost Jerusalem disappears, Ormus transports it to planet Abraxas for safekeeping and more research. Abraxas is the homeland of Ormus. The Zohar is presumably kept on Abraxas for thousands of years. Apparently, the Zohar's existence isn't made entirely public. * At the start of the T.C. 4000s, the Immigrant Fleet reunited with another fleet that had escaped from Earth--a group that had already formed a united organization of nations in the form of the Galaxy Federation. The two groups began mutual exchanges, but their backgrounds and cultural disparities were too much to bridge. Most importantly of all, the Immigrant Fleet was in possession of the Zohar. This led to a history of wars and truces that has repeated itself countless times. * In T.C. 4667 (Xenosaga: Pied Piper), the Zohar activates at Archon Cathedral. News of the Zohar's activation caused the entire star system to become interested in owning it. Because of that, the Galaxy Federation's salvators took it forcefully from Abraxas. Abraxas is then re-named Michtam. * After some time, the Zohar is returned to Michtam where it is studied by the Mizrahi Cerebral Sciences Research Center, a division of the Federation's Zohar Research Organization. Thus, MNI/MCSRC was part of the Federation and was studying the Zohar (along with Joachim Mizrahi). * The Galaxy Federation attempts to control the Zohar using a control experiment. However, it fails and summons Gnosis to Michtam in T.C. 4747. * After Michtam's destruction, the Galaxy Federation finds the Zohar in its ruins and transfers it to planet Miltia, due to the existence of numerous facilities left on Miltia from early Immigrant Fleet visits, where research continues by the MNI/MCSRC in Labyrinthos. * The MNI/MCSRC transforms into the U-TIC Organization and becomes corrupted and a Zohar struggle leads to the Miltian Conflict. **U-TIC has been considering using Lemegeton and the Song of Nephilim to activate the Zohar (Kevin Winnicot supports this idea, Suou Uzuki is against it). Regardless, U-TIC has also been using people with affinity with the Zohar/U-DO such as Aoi Uzuki, as well as experimental Realians (Febronia, Cecily and Cathe and Almadel) for linking with the Zohar with the Vessels of Anima. * During the Miltian Conflict, the Zohar is hooked up with Proto Ω. Proto Ω was set to be deployed in the third descent operation as well. * After the traumatic deaths of Suou Uzuki and Aoi Uzuki, Shion's despair resonated with the Zohar in the hangar of Labyrinthos, summoning the Gnosis. Once the Gnosis appeared, the Zohar was left at the hangar in the confusion. After the Miltian Conflict and Miltia is locked in the Abyss, the Zohar, still in Proto Ω, is inaccessible in the Abyss for 14 years, remaining in Labyrinthos' hangar. ''Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse'' * MOMO Mizrahi's copy of the Y-Data leaks, and several parties rush to acquire the original Zohar at Miltia. Unfortunately for the Galaxy Federation, Ormus gets there first. The Patriarch Sergius XVII obtains it and uses it to turn Miltia into the Omega System. * The Zohar is seen in the Omega System. Albedo contacts the Zohar, causing the Omega System to transform into the space-time anomaly. * The Zohar is somewhere in the space-time anomaly for a while - when the anomaly disappears after Jr. fights Albedo, the Zohar is seen floating in space. * The "Gnosis" (not really a Gnosis) Abel's Ark appears, absorbs the Zohar, and disappears for about a year. ''Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra'' * On Abel's Ark, Dmitri Yuriev puts the Zohar in Ω Res Novae, and it becomes a sleek white mecha. When Dmitri Yuriev merges with the Zohar in Ω Res Novae, Ω Res Novae transforms into Ω Metempsychosis. * When Albedo appears, the Zohar (along with Abel) is supernaturally extracted from Ω Metempsychosis and returned to the ruined Michtam. While the scene depicts Albedo doing this, a later scene implies Albedo wasn't responsible and that "someone's will" was responsible. This "someone" is likely Wilhelm. * The Zohar is attached to Zarathustra. * Yeshua (chaos) and Mary Magdalene (KOS-MOS) use the Zohar to eradicate the Gnosis. A phase shift occurs, and what occurs to the Zohar is ambiguous. It is possible the Zohar is returned to Lost Jerusalem, or is destroyed entirely. Etymology The name Zohar (Hebrew for "splendor" or "radiance") is a reference to a group of books that help lay the foundation of Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism. ''Xenogears'' The Zohar was also based on the Zohar Modifier from Xenogears, the spiritual predecessor of Xenosaga. In Xenogears, the Zohar Modifier appears as a simple golden monolith with a turquoise eye rather than Xenosaga's ornately designed monolith and jewel. The Xenogears monolith also lacked the "arms" of the Xenosaga monolith, which give it the appearance of a cross. In Xenogears, the Zohar Modifier serves as prison for the Wave Existence, and is an essential part of Deus' core engine. The Zohar Modifier is the device used not only by Deus as a source of energy, but also the player character and NPC gears. It is also the source of the populous' ether abilities. Trivia * The Zohar is similar in appearance and usage to the Monolith from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which it is likely inspired by. * The Zohar bears a resemblance to Lifeholds from Xenoblade Chronicles X and to Pyra's and Mythra's Core Crystals from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. *The source of KOS-MOS' power (and possibly T-elos' as well) comes from U-DO by using the Zohar as a door. * The Zohar serves as the logo for Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht. * The Zohar's shape vaguely resembles a cross, possibly referencing the crucifixion of Jesus. * The Conduit in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 shares many similarities to the Zohar, such as its appearance. It is also referred to in the game's 3-D asset files as the Zohar, possibly as a placeholder name. See also * Zohar Project Gallery Art-bg01.jpg|Zohar. MiniZohar.png|T. Masuda's mini Zohar. ZoharMini.gif|Mini Zohar. CompassBase.png|Base of Wilhelm's Compass of Order and Chaos. Zohar1.png|Lake Turkana. Zohar2.png|Lake Turkana. Zohar3.png|Lake Turkana. Zohar4.png|Lake Turkana. Zohar5.png|Lake Turkana. Pomega.jpg|The Zohar in Proto Omega in Episode II. Vlcsnap-2011-05-05-15h43m45s51.png|Albedo engulfed in U-DO's waves in Episode II. Poster1.png|''The Animation''. kosmos99292200210.png|Art. Love.png|Art. ZoharConcept.png|Art. E3obj031.png|Zohar. E3obj032.png|Zohar. Zohar-1.png|Let the saga take you. Category:Miscellaneous Category:Relics of God